The Cowboys and Steelers both kept their safeties back and play M2M across the board. They were content to eliminate our down field threat which is the staple of this offense with Nicks and Cruz.

What that is supposed to leave open is the running game since there are no safeties in the box. We should also have swing routes and Bennett 1 on 1 underneath.

If our running game does not make opposing defenses commit a safety to stop it, we are not going to be able to work the ball down field, and Gilbride doesn't seem to know how to adjust when a team takes away the down field receivers.

brad

11-05-2012, 12:39 PM

In theory, this would be true, but they are attacking the run game with the LBs essentially leaving the middle of the field and the outside short throws to the backs wide open... because they know those area of the field are virtually ignored by this offense. It's a different approach, and clearly working against Eli and company. To me the run isn't being overlooked and isn't the solution to the problem. The short and intermediate passes are. This will pull back and widen the area that the LBs need to cover, which opens the run game. Once that happens defenses will bring up the safeties to open up the deep pass.

ShakeandBake

11-05-2012, 12:48 PM

The Cowboys and Steelers both kept their safeties back and play M2M across the board. They were content to eliminate our down field threat which is the staple of this offense with Nicks and Cruz.

What that is supposed to leave open is the running game since there are no safeties in the box. We should also have swing routes and Bennett 1 on 1 underneath.

If our running game does not make opposing defenses commit a safety to stop it, we are not going to be able to work the ball down field, and Gilbride doesn't seem to know how to adjust when a team takes away the down field receivers.

Wrong. Man cover 2 leaves the middle of the field open, and this is where we should be utilizing our TE in the middle of the field where the defense is exposed. Unfortunately we were unable to do this because MB was left in to block the vast majority of the time because of our poor pass blocking(blame Diehl)

BlueBlooded1979

11-05-2012, 01:44 PM

Nobody plays Cover 2 against this team. Cruz is usually too good at finding holes in the zone. They will play 2 Man or 1 Man with doubles Nicks and Cruz. With Diehl getting a free pass to be horrible the Giants are running 7 man protections and only releasing 3 into the pattern. That is 3 guys trying to get open against 7 in coverage. With Nicks hurt, Cruz playing scared and Randle running the wrong routes that spells futility.

barcode56

11-05-2012, 01:53 PM

Nobody plays Cover 2 against this team. Cruz is usually too good at finding holes in the zone. They will play 2 Man or 1 Man with doubles Nicks and Cruz. With Diehl getting a free pass to be horrible the Giants are running 7 man protections and only releasing 3 into the pattern. That is 3 guys trying to get open against 7 in coverage. With Nicks hurt, Cruz playing scared and Randle running the wrong routes that spells futility.